Stemming the Tide
by The Assassin's mentor
Summary: "I thought I'd be living a regular life, asides from my mom being a Huntress and teacher at Beacon. I'd become a Hunter and protect Remnant. But that all changed seven years ago. Now, I hunt down those who have inflicted pain on me. I will forge my own path. My name is Bardhyl Miles. And like me father and ancestors before me, I am an Assassin."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: Ahhh, it's good to be back. Hello everyone, and welcome to the sequel of Hidden Blades and Dust. While it hasn't been that long since I've finished it, I've been planning this with a partner of mine for awhile now. I wouldn't have gotten it that well if it wasn't for him.**

**Well, the good ol' couple of Desmond and Glynda has went by well. This follows their children as they progress through their training as Assassins and Hunters at Beacon. **

**Heads up, this is twenty years after Aeronwen was born, the daughter of Desmond and Glynda. Her brother was born three years after she was. So she is twenty while he is seventeen. The admittance into Beacon is seventeen, but I think you can hold back a bit if you want to before joining.**

**This is also very OC centered. There are other characters showing in from the series and games, but it's around OC's.**

**And that ending to Volume 2... GAAAAAAH! TOO MUCH!**

***_AHEM*_**

**Anyways, I hope you'll like this one. Rate, review and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Assassin's Creed.**

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><p>"Gaaaaaaah!"<p>

A person in his late teenage years shot up from bed with his eyes snapping wide open. The early morning sun was shining through his window with the thin layer of sweat that accumulated in his sleep glistening in the light. Dark green eyes darted about from the floor and ceiling of the room. His breathing was deep and quick as he was begging for fresh air to enter his lungs. Placing a hand in his short, downy, wavy dirty blond hair, he closed his eyes as he did his best to slow down his breathing.

"Another one... How I love them," He sarcastically to himself. His breathing slowed down to a normal rate with his recently rapidly beating heart back to a slow beat. He looked around his room and sighed heavily at the dark blue painted room. Running a hand through his hair again, he allowed a small smile to form on his lips and kicked the covers off him. He wasn't wearing anything on his torso but was wearing a pair of black boxers with silver accents on them. He kicked himself off his bed and landed on the floor a few feet away from his bed.

"Bard! Don't be soo noisy!" A girl voice shouted from across the hallway from his bedroom. It was hinted that the sound behind it told that she was drowsy and didn't have as much sleep from the previous night.

"I hear ya, sis!" Bard shouted back as he stretched his back to relive the tensed muscles that built up from his stressful dream. Cracking a few bones from his back to his neck, he let out a satisfied sigh and clapped his hands together. Bending down, he picked up a white shirt from the ground and put it on as he walked out of his room.

Upon exiting out of his room, he gulped slightly when he saw his older sister standing at her doorway, staring right at him. Her doughy brown eyes stared right into his as they were serious and frustrated. Her brown hair, which was usually tied in a ponytail, just past her shoulders all moussed up with a part of it sticking to the side. "Bard, keep your voice down if you don't want to be teleported to Signal like that," She threatened while yawning.

"Hey, says the one who's up all night drinking," Bard shot back. He was then caught in his sister's arms as she hugged him tight. He was gasping for air while she simply grinned at him.

"You're still no match for your older sister, Bard," She replied to him and laughed as he struggled.

"Aeronwen! Let your brother go! It's his last day at Signal today and I don't want him to be late!" Their mother shouted from downstairs.

"And just when I was having my fun," Aeron pouted. "Alright, baby bro, you're off the hook for now. Now chop chop. Mom wants ya to eat breakfast before leaving." Aeron let Bard go who just collapsed on the ground gasping for air. "And for Dust's sake, don't bother me before you leave," She ordered before entering her room and closed the door on him.

The younger rolled his eyes at his sister and straightened himself out. "Love you too, sis," Bard mumbled sarcastically. Walking down stairs, Bard bent backwards and outstretched his arms behind him while making his way to the kitchen. Smelling the familiar scent of eggs and butter, he couldn't help but grin for breakfast. Bard stepped into the kitchen and saw his mother standing at the stove cooking the morning meal for him. "Morn, Mom," He greeted to her before plopping himself down at the kitchen counter.

The woman turned around and smiled her son when she saw him. Her bright emerald eyes reflected the morning sunlight they reflected into her eyes as well. Her blond hair was tied in a bun with some of the locks intertwining, creating a twirl on the right side of her head. "Good morning, Bard," She replied to him before placing a light brown pancake onto a plate. She set it in front of Bard who then smiled at the sight. There was three pancakes on top of each other with scrambled eggs and breakfast sausages on the side. "You need this for your last day at Signal today."

Bard grabbed a fork and stabbed it into one of the sausages and proceeded to take a bite off of it. "I got it, I got it. I go to Signal, finish up there and then get back here and wait for a week or so to join Beacon," Bard replied back at his mother.

"Your father wants you and Aeronwen to go to Beacon to sharpen up on your teamwork skills," She told him before sitting down across from him. She had a mug of coffee in hand and took a small sip from it.

He swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth and looked at his mother with a blank expression. "Mom, aren't the Assassins, you know, supposed to work alone to achieve a mission success?" He answered to her.

"But the best Assassins are stronger together rather than going at it alone, Bard." Said teen turned around to see his father standing right behind him. His hair was a short brown with the same colour accommodating to his eyes. He had a fair stubble spanning across his face with the same small grin on his face fifteen years ago. "The Assassins are stronger together when you stand united."

"I prefer to work alone, Dad," Bard replied back with a bored expression.

"Bardhyl, don't act like your father is some stranger!" His mother scolded him while pointing her index finger at him.

Her husband just chuckled at her. "Glynda, it's alright. I'm sure he didn't mean it to say it like that."

"Desmond, I'm just-" She was cut off when the Assassin just placed a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Oh lighten up, honey," Desmond told her before kissing her passionately. Glynda widened her eyes from the kiss but melted in as fast as she was shocked to the familiar lips.

_"And here goes Dad on Mom again," _Bard thought as he stared at them. Quickly finishing his breakfast, he placed his dishes into the sink and turned off to walk back up into his room to change into his other clothing. "I'll see you later," He told him.

"Have a great day at school, sweetheart," Glynda told her son. She only sighed when he didn't even say a word to her. "I'm worried for him."

Desmond nodded as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Remember what Ozpin told you twenty years ago to now?" He asked his wife.

"Yeah..."

"He will grow out of it. But for now, him and Aeron are still kids." Desmond brushed a finger on her cheek to assure her of his words. "Just let them play their part. After all... It's not a role they'll have forever, Glyn," He told her before pecking her cheek.

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><p><em>A few hours after the afternoon, Signal Academy, Vale...<em>

There was a loud bustling about as the students- no wait, graduates of Signal walked along the hallways that they'll soon say goodbye to. Bard was just sitting on the front steps of the academy looking up at the bright blue sky. He felt the warm rays of the sun hitting his face with the cool breath tickling his skin. He was wearing a dark grey hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows with the hoodie slightly unzipped. A white shirt showed from beneath the hoodie with a black eagle design on it. Black pants accompanied him that came with black runners with white accents on them. There wear a few leather straps wrapped around his left wrist with a leather bracer protecting his wrist and palm of his hand. His right wrist was also given a similar accommodation as the left as well. Light yet strong. A sheath of a katana was strapped to his left side with a small sling bag on his back. A symbol from the Orient was adorned on his back. It was the word "Conflict" in a dull red which seemed to be bleeding slightly._"Finally leaving Signal after all those years. I'm surprised it's still standing after the what happened twenty years ago."_

To say, Bard was going to miss Signal. He has made friends that he'll be seeing soon in Beacon. He was going to miss the hallways of the academy along with the classrooms and the sounds of clanging and banging from the workshops. The Swordsman grew himself accustomed to the daily rituals he has been going through for four years. But he had to face the fact that he needs to move on.

But on other things, easier said than done.

Bard snapped his gaze down to his pocket when he heard his Scroll chime. He reached down and pulled it out. While doing so, he pulled his skateboard from beside him to the sidewalk in front of him. Some people thought is was weird for said teen to be doing such a thing. But he never even gave the slightest thought of paying attention to them. He turned on his Scroll and saw that there was a message on his screen. "It's from Mrs. Rose. Wonder what she wants?"

_**"I got a contract for ya, Bard. No need for your sister to come along since she isn't the best in being subtle. This is a one man mission. Oh, and please be cautious, Weiss isn't being the best of people right now. See ya soon!"**_

_**-Ruby Rose**_

"Contract... Been awhile since I've gotten a contract from her... I wonder-" Bard mentally slapped himself when he remembered about Ruby and her wife, Weiss Rose. He remembers seeing the first recruits of Beacon when he first joined the Assassins. He then remembered about the White Rose couple being recently married when he did join. He doesn't recall them having any kids. That's when six months ago when Logan and Ogata came to visit the Vale Brotherhood to see how the girls of RWBY are doing since they were the first ones to recruit men for their own guilds. Sad enough, the Ranger was frozen solid in ice from the Heiress. She was having a mood swing from her pregnancy.

Yes, the Weiss Schnee, now Mrs. Rose as well, and now owner of the Schnee Dust Company, was pregnant. The Scythe Wielder wanted to have a child with Weiss, whom at first wasn't comfortable with it. But she soon broke down from the famous puppy look Ruby gave her. Thanks to the technological advances from Atlas, it was possible for them to splice their DNA together, specifically into Weiss since Ruby the more athletic out of the two. But now, the girls were soon paying for it from the mood swings Weiss throwing out there.

Giving a quick reply back to Ruby, Bard pocketed his Scroll back into his pocket and stretched his muscles. "Welp, better be careful then." Cracking his knuckles, he jumped onto his skateboard and looked back behind him. Bard saluted the academy behind him cracking a small smile on his face. "See ya later, Signal," He declared before he pushed his right foot on the ground and began to cruise down the sidewalk.

The cool air was gliding across Bard's face as he road his skateboard to the residence Team RWBY were held up in. Leaning to the the left, his weight made the skateboard move to the left since the sidewalk was cut off going to the left as well. He couldn't help but grin to himself when he was seeing them again. It has been over nine months since he has seen the leaders of the Vale Assassins. He would be meeting Ruby and Blake again, his mentors in Vale. They were like aunts of his, as well as Weiss and Yang. But he felt more closer to the red and black duo since he grew up and trained with them. The same was with the two Oriental Assassins and the Ranger. But he considered everyone family to him to those who are in the Assassins.

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><p><em>Five hours later, Vale, Thatch and Anne's Tavern...<em>

Bard let out a deep sigh when he looked up to see the tavern he was tasked to get over to for the contract. The same tavern Desmond proposed to Glynda. It made Bard slightly anxious to be in the same place where his mother was proposed to. But at the same time, it made him happy that she was proposed at the location he was heading to. To him, it was reassuring. It gave him a small amount of relief to know that this would be the place for his contract.

Doing his best job to avoid the white haired Heiress, Bard managed to meet with his mentor, Ruby. He has grown a general liking for the Scythe Wielder since she has her overabundant spunk and peppiness which helped greatly in his training with her. After talking a bit, Ruby gave him his mission which she has great hopes in him for.

The contract; To earn the trust of a rather loose end of the Templars and act like one of their members. This became possible after Ruby explained to the Swordsman that Ogata and Logan interrogated a high ranking captain of the Templars. By using his information and name, this would make this certain mission easier to accomplish.

While this wasn't the greatest of areas for Bard in terms of this, he is quickly adaptable to a given situation. He'll be able to flex himself around this contract and give themselves a deeper foothold in the ranks of the Templars by using this loose end to give them information.

_**Cue in- Trooper and the Maid, AC4 Black Flag**_

Upon entering the tavern, he was quickly met by the joyous thundering of laughter and shouting. The sound of a woman singing was piercing through the thundering rambling of the tavern. Her voice was rather smooth and innocent to the ears of any of them men within the tavern. But to the women, rather the ones with boyfriends or husbands, it was venom to them. A siren's song you'd call it since the younger eyes of the men were on the young curvy figure of the singer along with the men playing their instruments and providing chorus here and there.

Removing his hood from his head, Bard let out a rather wide smile when he heard the happy upbeat of the young lady who seemed more in her late teens to the huffs and puffs of the patrons having their merry time. With that, he took in a silent breath and closed his eyes. Slowly reopening his eyes, they were a bright blue opposed to his dark emerald jewels. And his vision has changed. The singing and bantering haven been muffled to an almost silent hearing and his world has changed to a dark stormy blue with a small sky blue pulse being given off. Looking around, he smiled when he saw that the singer was emitting a blue aura. _"I guess Laura is giving it her all for tonight. I wonder how she got her after graduating the same year as me? Perhaps she just wants to be here before headin' off to Beacon."_

Looking around for a little tad longer, an invisible smirk came up when he saw someone giving off a golden aura. Shutting his eyes again, he opened them up again and walked over to one of the V.I.P booths his target was housed up in.

Passing by the stage his friend was singing at, Bard came in the sight of the person he was after. The man was in his mid twenties, scaly looking skin, brown military looking like haircut and deep sea green eyes that are staring into the void. ONe thing that was notable was a chessboard sprawled about on the table. Bard cleared his throat which caught the attention of the man. The man just scanned the Swordsman up and down with boredom glinting in his eyes. "Yeah?" He asked.

Without saying a word, the teen sat himself across from him and leaned into the cushioned feeling. "Can I join in?" Bard asked politely to the man.

"That depends. You got any Lien to bet?" The man growled back, clearly that he doesn't want to be disturbed right now. Bard responded back in equal measure when he pulled out a bill of a 100 Lien from his pocket before lightly tossing it to the side of the chessboard. "Now you're speaking my language, kid." He motioned a hand to Bard indicating for him to start.

Bard sighed internally when he was the white pieces. He preferred the black chess pieces because he _"Strikes quick and accurately like a shadow under the moon." _He placed his grasp on a black pawn and moved it up one square. "Care to say your name?" Bard asked his opponent.

Getting a knight over the wall of white pawns, the man let out a wry smile. Bard had to keep himself from snickering when he saw him placing his knight in a rather vulnerable position. "Nathan. Nathan Jericho. And what about you, lad? You got one?"

Bishop to knight. "Bardhyl Kenway," He replied back while watching Nathan's next move. Keeping his invisible smirk hidden from him, he saw him pushing a pawn out two squares to expose his queen.

Bard retaliated by moving a pawn out two spaces as well, revealing his rook that awaited his orders. "So tell me, laddie, how come you're here?"

"I hear that you know some people in high places."

White Black queen takes bishop.

"Aye, that I do. What do you want to know?"

Black White rook moves up two spaces.

"I want to know if you can help me with something."

White Black queen takes pawn.

"An errand? And what would that be?"

Black White rook takes queen.

Bard was silent for a moment as he contemplated thoughts. Yet he didn't show any restraint to the loose end in front of him. "I want revenge."

Black knight moves.

"Revenge?"

White rook takes pawn. Check.

"Revenge."

Black pawn takes rook.

"That is rather a messy errand, laddie."

White pawn moves up, exposing black queen.

"That's why I want to know if you'll do it or not."

Black pawn moves up.

"I don't know..."

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><p><em>Moments later...<em>

"You don't trust Fauna?" Nathan asked.

White pawn takes bishop. Check.

"My scars run very deep. Respect me if I don't explain why," Bard explained to him.

Black king takes pawn... Check. The white queen is one a straight course for it with a white bishop one one side and a rook waiting for it. "Checkmate."

Right before Nathan could respond with a move, they heard a loud happy cheer too close to them. "Baaaaaaaaard!" A female voice called out. Said teen felt his blood running cold when he heard that voice. Slowly turning his head beside him, Aeron was standing there. In one hand, she had a bottle of rum that was already three quarters empty. Her brown eyes were hazy with her stance wobbly. Bard wouldn't say that she's drunk. His older sister is smashed.

In her other grasp was a girl. She was almost in equal measure of state like Aeron. But nonetheless, beyond drunk. "Know that lass?" Nathan asked Bard.

Bard quickly shook his head with a forced smile on his face. "I have no idea who she is."

"Baaard. Thhaaat huuurts meeeee. Saaaaying yoooouuu dooon't knnnoooww yooouur ol' sistah!" Aeron slurred at him.

"You're sure?" Nathan asked again.

"Yes. I'm very sure," Bard replied hesitantly. _"She's screwing up with my mission right now. I'm gonna kill her later."_

"Whoooo aaarrreee yoouu taaalking toooo?" The girl beside Aeron asked curiously.

"It's noooothing... Baaaaby." Aeron wrapped her arms around the girl and procedded to start making out with her.

Bard scrunched his face in utter disgust. Sure, he has seen his sister with her share of boyfriends and girlfriends back at home. But on a mission? She's interfering. And he wants out. Now.

"I forfit," Bard said to Nathan.

"Come on, laddie. Can't you-?"

_**WHAM!**_

Nathan was knocked out cold with the clattering sounds of the chess pieces on the table and ground. Bard had his hands on the chessboard. He had an iron grip on the board with his breathing seething through his nose. He wasn't amused at all by his sister's act.

People were looking at the Swordsman who just glared back at them. His eyes showed that he wasn't in the mood to talk, and that he was probably going to kill someone. "Drinks are on me," He announced as he reached into his pocket and threw out a bunch of Lien onto the table.

"Whoooooo! Anooother roooouunnd!" Aeron cheered.

Placing the board back down on the table, he grabbed Nathan by the collar and did the same to his smashed sister. "We're leaving," He growled at her when she was pried off of the girl.

"Buuuut I waaaaant anooother!" Aeron pouted as she was dragged away.

"Caalll meeeee!" The girl pouted as Aeron was dragged away by her fuming brother.

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><p><em>Beacon Academy...<em>

Desmond was in the living room with his wife as they were watching some tv. It was something they rarely did since they were busy most of the time. But whenever they did, they enjoyed every moment they could have with each other.

"Des, it's already late. Bard hasn't came back yet and I haven't seen Aeron since the afternoon," Glynda mumbled to him.

"I'm sure they're fine, Glynda. They can look after themselves," Desmond replied to her.

The door then slammed open to show an unamused Bard with a clueless Aeron being dragged in behind him. "My eyes are spinning," She giggled in her little state.

"Aeronwen!" Glynda scolded as she sat up.

Bard let go of his sister and stomped on upstairs. "Bard," Desmond called out to his son. The answer he got back was his door slamming. The Assassin let out a long sigh and looked down at his daughter. "You. You have a lot of explaining to do when you sober up."

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><p>Bard groaned in frustration as he was typing on his personal laptop for the current report to Ruby. It was pretty late already and the Scythe Wielder was probably asleep already. She'll be seeing it in the morning or whenever she can. As for him, he wasn't happy at all. Not one bit.<p>

He looked up from the screen to see his wall. It was littered in newspapers, past event articles and leads posted along. Red threads were being threaded around pinned on them. It was his evidence wall. He has been updating it whenever he can from rumours on the streets to personal interrogations. It was for leads on the Templars on their whereabouts or places of operations. But he also had a darker reason why he had set this up seven years ago.

A knife was stabbed into the wood of his desk, about an inch deep. Grabbing the handle, Bard wiggled it around loosening it from it's wooden pedestal. He spun it around in his fingers while leaning back into his chair. "It was going so well... Then you came along, sis."

It was very embarrassing for the younger sibling whenever his sister shows up. She usually ruins his time whenever he's trying to do something. And worse thing yet, she swings both ways... and she leans towards girls more. Bard has seen her with more girlfriends than boyfriends. But they were always short term. The longer he could recall was at least three months. Longest record she has yet.

Looking to his side, he saw his dart board hung up near the window. There were a couple other small knives stuck in the cork of the board. Flipping the knife around in his fingers where he held the tip, Bard spun to the side and threw the knife towards it. A loud thunk was heard when it stuck itself into the board. The center to be precise. It stuck itself in the eye of the bloody wolf symbol of the White Fang.

_"Bullseye," _Bard thought with a sadistic smirk revealing along his lips. _"I will have my revenge. And they'll pay... They'll pay in blood and tears..."_

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><p><strong>That is the first chapter of Stemming the Tide. Hope you all liked it.<strong>

**I thank lonewolfe13 for helping me with the plot and creation of the children. He is a great partner and I couldn't be here with this story without him.**

**And if you're also wondering why some of my other stories are gone, I've inspiration for them. Forgive me. I couldn't find any for them. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: It has been a bit since I posted something. Well, all the time that I was able to scrounge up, I was working on this chapter. I wanted to focus on this since it was always nagging at my head.**

**Some of you are also wondering about my other stories. Some of you really want to see Metro: A New Light updated again. Which also includes other stories of mine. It takes time for me to work on a chapter, even though it's at least 2K or more, or sometimes less. I just want to make sure that it's done well. But I promise I'll update as best as I can.**

**Hope you enjoy chapter two.**

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><p><em>A couple months later...<em>

Bard sighed in satisfaction as he plopped himself down onto his bed. A small suitcase was already packed up which laid sprawled about on the floor for Beacon. A guitar case was also laying on the ground with his personal acoustic guitar. He earned that guitar from Logan after learning how to play said instrument with the Ranger. And today was the day he would be entering Beacon. And it was convenient as well since the academy is only a couple blocks away from the house.

Running a hand through his wavy hair, Bard lifted his legs up from the floor and laid down on his bed. This would be the last time for awhile that he'll be feeling the softness of his mattress. It wouldn't be that bad. But it was since his sister was going.

"It's bad enough she already ruined my mission those months ago, but she's going to be an even greater pain in Beacon," He mumbled to himself placing his arm on his forehead. The Swordsman knew it wasn't against the rules for someone to be joining an academy for Hunters and Huntresses over the age of seventeen. Seventeen was the legal age to join one. But he could only dream of a rule where his sister couldn't attend the same school as him.

Looking at the ever ticking clock on his wall across from him, he saw that he only had at least an hour left before he should start making way to Beacon. "It'll be a bit before I can play the piano here again. Beacon has a music room, but I don't like playing in public. Welp, I should play before heading out." Kicking himself up from his bed, Bard landed on the floor and walked out of his room making his way to the living room.

Walking down the hallway, he almost bumped into his mother but ducked underneath all the paper she had in hand. Glynda had a slight flustered look on her face seeing Bard ducking down like that. "Bard, aren't you supposed to be getting ready for Beacon in an hour?" She asked him.

"Already packed last night, Mom. You kept telling me to. I'm just gonna play a bit on the piano before heading out. That alright?" Bard replied back with a question behind it.

All what Glynda did was smile at him while hefting the stack of papers in her arms. "Go ahead. Just don't be too long on it. You know how long you can be on the piano when no one tells you to stop."

"I hear you. See you at school, Mom."

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><p>Upon entering the living room, his eyes brightened in joy when he saw the black wood piano in the sunlight. The polish on the piano made the light reflect slightly when it landed on it. Bard walked over to the family instrument and pulled out the bench from beneath it. Lifting up the cover over the keys, he cracked his knuckles, letting them get warmed up before playing the white and black keys on the keyboard.<p>

**Cue: Wings of Piano- V.K**

Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, Bard gently placed his fingers on the keys. He pressed softly and a note out of the key. Soon, he pressed on more keys letting the soft notes fill out the room. That's when his fingers started gliding side to side on the keyboard as he reached for even more keys. The majestic symphony filled up the entire living room. His fingers played with passion with every key they pressed down on.

He played and played, fingers gliding from one end to the next. The music grew more louder and with each passing second became more passionate. And he would't trade anything else right now for the moment he was having with the music he made.

**End Song**

Before he could even reach the end of the piece he was playing, he heard someone singing behind him. It sounded like the voice of an angel. It was soothing and sweet to the ears. Turning around, he saw his sister, Aeron, behind him with a smile on her face. Her light brown hair was tied in a ponytail that matched the color of her dough brown eyes. "Excited to go to Beacon, little bro?"

"Yeah... Yippie..." He mumbled out.

Aeron was wearing a red and black checkered Daisy Duke style flannel shirt with the sleeves pulled up in between her wrists and elbows. A blue tank top was on her body. It was fairly tight enough showing off her curves and rather large bust. She had a pair of light blue jeans on tucked into her knee high boots. Two pairs of familiar looking bracers were on her wrists but were more metallic like opposing to her brother's leather bracers. They looked more like large silver like bracelets which seemed more like a fashion accessory.

"What, what's wrong?" Aeron asked him as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Not wanting to be rude, Bard softly pushed her hand off and nodded. But truly, he isn't happy. He was still angry at his sister sabotaging his mission. Desmond told him that he shouldn't be holding grudges against people, especially family. But Bard couldn't help but keep said grudge against his sister. "I'm gonna go get my bags now."

Entering his room, Bard's eyes widened when he saw that his guitar case was open without his guitar in it. "What the hell! Where's my guitar?!" The Swordsman heard footsteps behind him and turned around. He beared his teeth when he saw Aeron holding his guitar in hand. "I'm in no mood for this." He walked towards her, his face turning into a scowl. "Give it back." Bard reached for his guitar. Aeron just stepped out of the way making him walk into a wall. Bard pushed himself off and glared at his sister. "Aeron. I'm not in the mood."

"You're never in the mood to play with me, Bardy," Aeron teased him. He snarled at her and ran towards her to grab his guitar. Seeing this, she brought it up and smashed it against the wall. The wood splintered as the pieces of the instrument flew in every direction.

Bard's widened when he saw his sister doing that. How dare she? "Aeron! What the hell?!" He shouted at her.

"Whoa! Chill!" Aeron told him with her hands gesturing.

"Chill? How... How can I chill... When you just destroyed my fucking guitar right in front of me?!" Bard shouted at her. "That was my first guitar! How could you do that to me?!"

Bard tried tackling his sister to the ground. She merely stepped to the side making him run back into his room. "Because I got you a present!" Aeron shot back making Bard freeze in his berating. "Wait here."

As the elder left, the younger just huffed in place. He leaned against the wall and crossed arms while closing his eyes. "I hope it ain't like the present you have me for my last birthday... What do I look like to her? A sex addict?"

A couple moments passed on by with the sound of familiar footsteps coming along. Bard's ears twitched at that and knew it was his sister without second thought. "Okay, open your eyes!" Aeron chirped in a rather happy tone.

Sighing, the younger sibling reluctantly opened his eyes. Upon opening them, they widened in surprise. Bard slowly reached for it as Aeron gave it to him with a smile on her face. He gripped it tightly in his grasp. It was very light and sturdy. It was made out of maple wood polished and shined. He played a small strum on it. It was like heaven to him. "Where did you get this? I've looking for one of these for a long time," Bard asked in surprise.

Aeron chuckled at her little brother. "I have a couple friends in my mentors group that happens to own a guitar shop with rare guitars like that. Plus, it was also autographed by your favorite artist."

"You don't mean?"

"Oh I mean."

"It was autographed by _The Mad King? THE MAD KING?"_

Aeron nodded at him and smiled. "Yep, my friend went a concert of his and got that guitar autographed sinced I asked her if she could for me. After all, I am pretty good with the ladies," Aeron proclaimed as she smirked slightly.

"Did that mean you made out with her to have her do it?" Bard questioned her as he placed his new guitar into the empty case.

"That's a little too exaggerated. All I did was kiss her on the cheek and things escalated."

Bard rolled his eyes at her with a small grin. "Right. And I'm the King of France. Nevertheless, I should be thanking you. Je vous remercie, ma chère sœur," He replied, in a very sarcastic tone at those last words. And to an added effect on it, he bowed slightly.

Aeron shook her head smiling. "Qualsiasi cosa per voi, il mio fratellino," She answered back sweetly.

"Whatever. Mom's at Beacon now. By my guessing, you haven't even packed you bags yet. Pity. I would love to help you pack, but I'm afraid I should stay here and attend to my own luggage, just to make sure you haven't done anything else," Bard stated to her in a rather serious tone. Despite being the little brother of his sister, he can get rather rebellious to her when it happens. And when it does, it's not a pretty sight.

"Like I would," Aeron replied back casually at him waltzing out of his room. A smirk only appeared on his face when he heard his sister scream in horror when she entered her room. "My room!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Never mess with my stuff, sis," Bard muttered under his breath. Hefting the bag over his back, he picked up his guitar case and made way downstairs to wait out the rest of the period of time. And in that waiting period, his ears were filled with the sounds of his sister shouting which was music to his ears.

* * *

><p><em>Later...<em>

Bard sighed as he was already halfway down the stone trail that lead to the entrance of the academy. This place was like a secondary home to him. He knew every nook and cranny the school grounds provided. There were even some spots that the staff, not even his family, knows about. Bard considered them his places of sanctuary to go to when he needed to escape from the noise or stress in his life. Some may say it's too early for him to have this type of problems in his life. Unless one knows his past, they would never know.

"Beacon... Guess it starts here then," The Swordsman whispered. Looking behind him, he already saw the first transports landing in, soon to be unloading the first wave of freshmen into the academy. "Just like anybody else."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to his side. He smiled slightly when he saw Desmond at his side with a smile of his own. "I can tell you're excited, son," Desmond mentioned. By now, the Assassin was already looking like a younger version of his father, not without the grey hair or anything. But he has received more scars a little more facial hair than before twenty years ago. "I still feel like I'm thirty, you know?" He joked to his son.

"What, like Ezio when he went to Constantinople on his so called pilgrim journey?" Bard joked back.

Bard has suffered the same thing as Desmond even without the use of an Animus. The Bleeding Effect. At first, it wasn't that serious. But at a young age, Bard was experiencing what his ancestors have done in the past. It scarred him at a young age, making him think he was going crazy. But thanks to Desmond explaining to him about the said effect to him, he knew it was nothing. Many nights when he goes to sleep he would be reliving the memories of his ancestors. From the Fall of Al-Mualim, Piloting the Jackdaw and to the marshes of the Pacific Islands of the Second World War.

Both father and son laughed at that and continued to laugh for a good moment. Desmond wiped an imaginary tear away from his eye and patted Bard's shoulder. "Just forgive your sister, Bard. She's going to be attending with you."

"I know... But she'll make it hard," Bard muttered back at him.

Desmond sighed and pulled his son's hood up over his head. "Me and your mother have talked to her already. While she maybe like that, she promised she won't screw around with your missions if assigned any during your time here. She even swore not to drink as much anymore while attending Beacon here."

"Thanks... That might help, I think," Bard replied back to him.

Before the two could walk into the building, they felt two familiar presences behind them. They turned around and the Assassin just smiled when he saw them. "It's good seeing you two here after so long," Desmond greeted them.

The girl just moved her long blond hair back with a smile on her face with her familiar lilac eyes looking at them. "It would be said not seeing one of my apprentices on her first day here," Yang replied placing her hands on her hips. She has grown much over the years. She was close to Desmond's height, but not as much. Her hair has past her waist but wasn't ling enough to reach past her thighs. And she was well toned as well. And he chest. Let's just say it was given enough attention as well.

On the other side was someone Bard admired much during his training. They came as a pair as they were inseparable friends during Beacon and now. He now had a small stubble himself spanning across his face along with longer hair from twenty years ago. His own pair of green eyes mirrored back to Bard with the familiar sword strapped to his back still dressed in torn clothing from all the traveling he has done. "And I wanted to make sure my apprentice was fairing alright," Logan replied back with his arms crossed.

Bard walked over to one of his teachers and shook the Ranger's hand for a second. A few more seconds passed on by before he hugged Logan. The Ranger did the same back and hugged back with the same affection his pupil gave him. 'It's good to see you again, Mentor," Bard told him.

"Bard," Logan began as he ruffled his hair. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Logan. You've earned the right to call me that a long time ago. As well as Hiro. Although the guy has been busy caring for his kids."

"Tell me, how many kids does Ogata and Velvet have again?" Desmond asked Logan from behind Bard.

"Hmm, it's been awhile since I've been in Orient. Last time I recall is him with three kids. Two of them got rabbit ears which Thalia thinks is adorable on them," Logan replied to his mentor.

Yang shook her head and left the three. "I'll be looking for Aeron, kay? Later!"

As Yang left, the three just looked at each other. "This ain't going to end well," They all said together.

And they were right to some aspect.

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Botanical Gardens...<em>

The school itself was a very versatile academy. From workshops, training rooms and study halls, it was accommodated to suit the many students that are attending the academy. Even training simulation rooms were here, and training wasn't just their only functions. For example, if the student was from Orient and was homesick, he or she would enter the simulation and see their home kingdom again.

But others prefer the natural beauty of nature.

In the northern part of the academy, there was a large courtyard that was very similar to the courtyard of the ancient Assassin stronghold of Masyaf. It was exposed to the sun giving it the light it needs to sustain the plant life in the gardens. Bright botanic flowers were adorned on the small stone pathways along the courtyard with dark green hedges beside it. A gazebo was in the middle of the gardens letting people to enjoy the surroundings of the courtyard.

A girl was seated inside the gazebo on one of the benches. She was wearing a pale white corset with grey accents along them, hugging her upper body. White leggings were wrapped around hers legs with sliver like high heels with the stilts stiletto like. A black skirt with white accents was draped around her legs. The back side was slightly longer than the front as it almost passed her knees from behind while the front was covering a good portion of her front which was decent of her. Short grey sleeves where on her upper arms just slightly reaching her elbows. A dark blue image of an eagle in mid-flight was shown on her right sleeve with three slashes going through it. Dark leather brown fingerless gloves were worn on her hands along with leather bracers on her wrists. Dark golden brown hair was tied up in a small ponytail with with deep icy blue eyes that could cut through the deepest of mists. Her skin was almost like a baby, light peach and shiny. Two white feathered wings were adorned on her back as they flapped slightly.

She was enjoying the quietness and tranquility the gardena gave her. It made her feel at ease allowing her to relax.

But that was to be shortly lived.

"Heeeey, girl," A cheery voice greeted her from across her. raising her head up from the alabaster wood of the gazebo, she saw another girl seated across from her with a cheeky smile. "I think I have to call heaven, because I found myself an innocent angel," She added.

All what the Faunus girl did was sigh in irritation at the girl across from her. "Please, do try to stay quiet," She shot back politely.

What she didn't expect was the girl hopping over and sitting beside her. She was flustered from that. "Hey, does that beak of yours hook anything else?" The girl teased.

The Eagle Fauna's face grew a bright shade of red from that comment. "Ugh, you're disgusting!" She reprimanded at her. She was clearly not wanting to be near this girl. "_How can a girl of her stature say such things? She's despicable! And how was she able to get into a school of prestige like this? I can't even think how she was able to."_

"Hey, calm down. I'm just playing with you. Sorry 'bout that. Here, let's make it up." The girl stuck her hand out. "I'm Aeronwen Miles. But my folks call me Aeron." The Faunus girl had her arms crossed and looked the other way. It was clear she didn't want to make her acquaintence with her and she perfectly knew why. Brushing the ponytail slightly, Aeron blinked as she sighed. "Listen, I didn't mean to offend you like that. I was just joking." The girl was just silent at her making Aeron puff her cheeks out. She might've been twenty, but she still acted childish.

"Shqipe Moswen," The Faunus girl replied after a couple silent, rather awkward silent, moments. She turned around with her blue eyes boring holes into Aeron's head. "My name is Shqipe if you want to know. Now if you will excuse me, I must be making my way to the auditorium now." With those last words, Shqipe stood up from the bench and walked away from Aeron.

"It was nice meeting you!" Aeron called out at her. She soon fixed herself in the bench and crossed her arms. "She's a tough one. Most girls already fall for me by then."

"I guess you still have things to learn." Aeron looked beside her to see Yang smiling widely at her.

"Yang!" Aeron squealed and hugged her mentor tightly. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Like I would miss your first day here at Beacon. I want to make sure your first day here, or week, goes swell for you!" Yang chirped back. They continued to hug each other for a good moment before breaking off. "So, I see you're trying to woo another woman."

Aeron nodded at her as she sighed sinking into the bench. "I can already tell she's going to be a hard one to catch." Aeron whined like a little puppy. "She's just a stuck up nosed girl!" She pouted.

Yang wrapped an arm around her apprentice and pulled her in. "Hey, remember what I said about tough to get girls?" Yang asked her.

"Yeah."

"Well, it's worth it. If I hadn't kept fighting for Blake when we were still here at Beacon, she wouldn't be my beautiful wife right now. But make sure you make it right, or it'll topple all over you," Yang reminded her as she poked her head. It was always like this in Yang's exercises, bonding moments to know the student better. Instead of harsh training all the time like the Syrian Assassin, taking breaks and bonding over a glass of water or just relaxing watching some television was good as well.

Aeron just nodded at her mentor and stood up. "I'll try my best to keep in mind, Yang."

Yang smiled while patting her back. "Good. Now, I think we should get going to the auditorium now. Ozpin's gonna address you newbies here."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile inside, a few minutes earlier...<em>

Bard was walking around the hallways of the academy taking in the familiar yet foreign atmosphere. While Beacon was his home, he was never a student at the academy. And tomorrow is when he'll be showing his years of training to show that he is eligible enough to enter the school. It was two different sides of being here. Living here as it was a regular home. Now, learning to become a Hunter.

Or rather, work on his teamwork skills.

Bard wasn't much of one for teamwork. He was more of the Lone Wolf operator when it came to training inside the Brotherhood. His mentors were rather worried to keep telling Desmond to do something about it since he was hostile, even to fellow members of the Assassins, and for good reason why. So his response was having his son to attend Beacon since the school was always generating a new generation of protectors of Remnant and changed people for the better. Even ask the weakest person in Beacon ten years ago saying that he became even stronger and confident.

His hands were in his pockets with a low whistle blowing out of his mouth. The low tune echoed off of the empty walls of the hallway that slowly made it's way to the auditorium at the end. "This is gonna be something," Bard breathed out. Taking a hand out of his hoodie's pocket, he pulled his hood over his head letting a dark shroud cover the upper portion of his face.

But what he didn't expect was someone bumping into him. From in front of him. He wasn't aware of this, strangely enough, making him fall onto his back. "Oh my gosh, I-I'm soo sorry for that!" A girl shouted in apology at him. Bard just groaned a bit from the sudden fall. Lifting his head up, blood rushed to his face when he saw that the girl's bust was almost directly in his face. Quickly, yet politely, he got her off of him. He got himself up to his feet and helped her up to her feet. This allowed him to get a good look at her.

The girl was dressed in a black leather blouse along with leggings made of the same material upon closer inspection. She had black leather boots that almost reached her knees with a slight wedge in them. Black and grey wolf fur trimming was accented along her boots. A dark grey cloak was wrapped around her neck and flowed down her left shoulder, reminding Bard of a certain Italian ancestor of his. Wolf fur accented the edges of her cloak as well. A spaulder made of Beowlf skull plates was adorned on her right shoulder that served as a mean of protecting her dominant arm. An image of various icicles in different lengths were upon her cloak in a dull white colour. And they all seemed to be dripping, almost like they were bleeding. Her hair was that of a silvery white as of that of snow, flowing past her shoulders. Her eyes were a greyish-blue that seemed to monitor everything that passed on by. And what was the most notable was a pair of silvery-grey wolf ears on her head with a wolf tail coming from behind her swishing around nervously.

Bard waved her off with his a gentle gesture of his hand. "It's okay. I'm alright. You okay?" He asked her.

The girl just nodded shyly at him as she couldn't look him in the eyes. Whether it was true shyness, fear, or respect, Bard didn't care as much. He just nodded at her himself and walked away. "W-What's your name?" The wolf Fauna stuttered her words out like they were the first words she ever said.

Turning around, a small smile was the only visible thing since a shroud was covering a good portion of his face. "Bardhly Miles. That's my name," He answered back softly. She flinched slightly behind those words since the girl sensed a hint of venom in his tone.

But she wasn't going to be offended by the tone he set off to her. Clearing her throat as best as she could, she nodded at him with a bright smile on her features. "Nice meeting you, Bardhly. I'm Ralphina. Ralphina Jennica. But some people call me Jenny."

The Swordsman just nodded at her and turned back around to walk away. "It's... Nice making your acquaintance with you," Bard replied softly placing his hands back into his pockets. He didn't want to linger any longer than he has already. He wanted to leave but didn't want to be rude at the same time. He could already tell that Ralphina was pretty socially awkward. He could tell by the timidness of her voice, the shuffling in her feet, and the nervous swaying of her wolf tail. _"I hope you're here now, Mom. I could really talk to you," _He thought.

Ralphina was just left alone in the hallway as she watched Bard walk down said hallway. One thing that she didn't like that she was easily flustered around people. Even if they were Faunus, she would still be very shy around them. But her parents really wanted her to be more comfortable around others. She was after all a blacksmith's daughter and all she did was spend time making weapons and tending to them.

* * *

><p><em>Present...<em>

Bard was leaning against a wall in the already filled auditorium where all the would be students of Beacon were gathered in. His hood was still over his face with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Many of the people inside caught a glimpse of him and wondered who he was. Was he some sort of security person? Or was he some loose end no one wants? They never came close to the real answer.

All except for one person.

His hood was removed from his head catching him off guard. Darting his eyes to see who did this, he groaned silently to himself when he saw Aeron smiling at him. "Ciao a tutti," Aeron greeted him happily and stood beside him.

"Hey, sis," Bard replied back looking down.

The older sibling just laughed and grabbed him by his head and began ruffling his hair with her free hand. Bard was once again caught off guard and was flailing his arms trying to pry her off. "C'mon, we're in Beacon now. Lighten up will ya?" She said to him with each noogie to his head.

This continued for a good couple of moments with some people snickering at the sight of the two. Aeron then let go when she heard someone clearing their throat on a microphone. Everyone inside diverted their attention to the stage to see a familiar sight. Well, a familiar sight for the two siblings. They saw Ozpin standing on the stage. The past years haven't affected him as much. He was still looking the same as he did twenty years ago. Only that his eyes seemed a little more weathered than before.

"Oh this is gonna be good," Aeron chirped as she had an arm slung around Bard's shoulders. This was one of the very few things that he tolerated and didn't bother brushing her arm off of him.

Ozpin cleared his throat once more with his eyes observing the large crowd of young teenagers standing before him. He let in a deep breath and smiled slightly. "I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose... Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step. Know that you need to have faith in tomorrow to press on. And doing so will reveal the true strength within you. Thank you."

Ozpin placed his hands behind him and walked away. Soon, Glynda came up on stage with Bard's eyes brightening slightly at her appearance. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." That was the signal for everyone inside to start fizzing off to where they should be heading off to. That was except for the two siblings walking up towards her as the crowd dissipated. Glynda walked off the stage and smiled at her two children before her. "I expect you two to be on your best behaviour here in Beacon." She then glared a bit at the firstborn beside Bard. "That goes double for you, Aeronwen. You better be a good role model for your little brother."

Aeron nodded at her mother and sighed a bit. "Yes, Mom. I promise."

Glynda resumed her smiling again and hugged them both. "And remember to have fun. I don't want to be seeing you two walking around as if nothing is happening."

"Yes, Mom," Bard replied back to her.

Glynda let go off them and proceeded to place her hands on her hips. "Good. Now shoo. Get yourselves ready for bed later in the ballroom."

* * *

><p><em>A few hours later, Ballroom, night...<em>

Teenagers were already getting themselves ready for the rest they will need for the day coming. They need all the energy they need in order to make it through their initiation tomorrow or risk their entrance into Beacon or suffer a worse fate.

Meanwhile, Bard was seated outside on one of the balconies that was overlooking the cliff that was facing the city. He was dressed in his black shorts along with a cotton white shirt that served as his sleeping garments. He was sitting on the railing. His legs dangled over the edge and swung about. He was thinking for a bit with his hands cupped together beneath his chin. _"Tomorrow's initiation... Heh, I guess time does fly on by when you don't pay attention to it. I was back in Signal a couple months ago. How time flies on by. I hope Scorpio is still sharp. I can quickly sharpen the blade tomorrow when I wake up."_

Bard's train of thoughts were disturbed when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw his sister smiling at him. She was dressed in a grey tank top with a pair of black sweatpants on the bottom portion of her body. Her hair was now flowing freely in the gentle breeze."Can I sit with you for a bit before we sleep?" Aeron asked him softly unlike her rowdy voice whenever she talks.

Bard was about to protest at her until he remembered his father's words and his mentor's advice. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, go ahead, sis."

She smiled a little more wider at him before she threw her legs over the railing and sat beside him. Aeron placed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in closer to her. "Bard... I know I can be difficult at times... But I care for you. Just remember that I'm looking out for you even though I can be a complete jerk to you at times. You know I don't mean it. I just like playing around with people."

Bard chuckled at her with his head shaking humorously. "Says the one who broke my guitar not so long ago," He brought back up.

"Hey, I got you another one. And I got it for you specifically. You're my little baby brother."

It wasn't uncommon for Aeron to be soft and gentle with Bard. It was always a thing for her to do whenever she does something that affects him greatly. She still felt guilty for ruining his mission those months ago. She was just drinking at the same place her brother was partaking in for a contract. She never meant to interrupt him. But her drunken self said otherwise.

"And you're my sister," Bard finished for her as he leaned on her. While he may have been sour towards her, he can't keep it up forever. They were brother and sister. They couldn't be enemies towards each other.

Aeron smiled and rubbed his back gently. She placed a kiss on his forehead and leaned on him as well. "If I promise to be a better sister, will you promise to be a little more... Better towards Faunus?"

"I'll try... I'll try..." Bard muttered back and yawned deeply.

"Shh, close your eyes. Just think you're back in the house in your bed. You'll be asleep fast enough," She whispered into his ear.

Feeling the urges of sleep clawing away at his will, Bard obliged and slowly closed his drooping eyes. Aeron smiled at this and rubbed his back even more.

Closing her own eyes, she took in a deep breath and opened her mouth.

_"Don't worry, I've got you;  
>Nothing will ever harm you.<br>I'm close by, I'll stay here;  
>Through all things, I will be near.<em>

_Close your eyes,_  
><em>Don't you cry.<em>  
><em>Love's around you;<em>  
><em>In time, you'll fly."<em>

When she was learning under Yang's teachings when she was young, Yang taught her this song when Aeron told her about Bard not being able to sleep well. Yang told her that she always sung this particular song to Ruby when they were kids to calm her down before drifting off to sleep. And this song was always a remedy to her. And it worked well on Bard as well

It has been a long time for her since she has sang for Bard. It was always when they were kids that she would sing to him when they were home alone. She would sing to him to calm him down allowing him to sleep. Bard always seemed to have nightmares when he was a kid, and they still plagued him to this day.

Soon enough, she heard the soft breathing of Bard's breath on her arm. A small snore came out of his mouth making her nod her head in satisfaction. Wrapping him in her arms, she carefully lifted him up from the railing and plopped him down on the ground. Getting herself off the railing herself, Aeron got Bard into a comfortable position with his back propped up against the wall of the railing. "Sleep well, baby bro," She whispered to him.

She made a vow. A vow to be a better sister. Something she struggled to do ever since she was eight. But she always kept her promises. And this was one she wasn't going to break that easily.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, Bard does many things himself. I'm sure we all do in our spare time.<strong>

**I based off the interactions between Bard and Aeron between me and my own sister. We are like that. I do something bad to her, she does the same to me. We hate each other, but we also love each other. I'm sure you can relate if you have siblings of your own.**

**See you peeps again when I post again.**


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